A Day in the life of a naturalist - Summer
See nature through new eyes and notice the beauty in every day! Join naturalist, Christy Howard, for a summer day spent developing fundamental naturalist skills, learning more about local flora and fauna, and cultivating curiosity around nature’s patterns and intricacies.
This workshop will cover everything from learning the songs and calls of local birds, discovering the difference between conifers, and appreciating the microworlds of lichen.
***Teachers/educators you can earn 3 OPI credits during this workshop***
-
Welcome Educator! Follow these steps to earn OPI credits:
1. Register for a workshop that has the OPI logo included or ensure that on the workshop website it says it qualifies for OPI credits.
2. When registering, make sure you check the box that indicates you are “an educator interested in earning OPI credits”.
3. Come to the workshop and enjoy learning! Be thinking about how the content could be modified for your classroom.
4. Immediately after the workshop meet with JCPF staff for additional educational materials, ask questions about teaching this content at grade level, OR connect with other teachers.
5. Receive your certificate and OPI credit paperwork.
6. Take the conservation curriculum back to your classrooms!
IN THIS WORKSHOP:
What is a naturalist?
Tools for the modern naturalist (Nature Journal, iNaturalist, apps, etc.)
I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of (Basics of nature journaling and seeing the natural world)
Cultivating Curiosity Exercise
Outdoor Exploration
DETAILS:
Date: July 12, 2025, 10:30AM to 3PM
Meet at Jack Creek Preserve’s Outdoor Education Center (OEC)
Cost: $30 per person
Nature journaling will be a component of this workshop.
No experience necessary! Feel free to bring your own journal.
There will be an indoor classroom part of the workshop and the field portion.
Bring your own lunch, water, snacks, and layers.
We will stay close to the Outdoor Education Center and cover 0.5-1 mile.
We are capping the event at 16 people.
About the instructor, Christy Howard: Christy is naturalist, a nature journal educator, and curiosity cultivator. She is the founder of the Gallatin Nature Society in Bozeman, MT and has always been a self-proclaimed nature nerd. She spends much of her free time doing grant work bringing nature and nature journaling to underserved populations in the community. Recently she has been working with the Bozeman Senior Center, Eagle Mount, and Assisted Living and Memory Care facilities among others. Her goal is to make sure that nature, nature education, and all of the valley’s wonders are open to everyone. Given the chance, she will gladly share about her special interest…lichen!
